As a teacher of how to use one's mind to manifest the things a person wants, I very often get the objection, "But what if what I want isn't what the Universe, my Higher Self, wants for me?" My response is, "Why wouldn't the Universe want the best that you can imagine for youself? Your Higher Self is in you, around you, thinking through you." Most people still have the old idea of the Universe, God, as a wise old man, sitting on a throne, doling out good to us a little at a time. This isn't true. Think of the highest and best of yourself, and your Universal Self is infinitely greater than that. But the Universe is still existing in you, through your thoughts and your desires. As you choose something better than you've had, say more health, more happiness, more money, why wouldn't that more joyous wholeness of you want you to have it? You are simply accepting more of the good of the Universe. All good has already been given to us. Remember, the Universe always says "Yes" to us. Whatever we focus our attention on, our Higher Selves gives us.

Another concern that people have is that "I feel I'm manipulating the Universe by trying to focus on what I want." Manifesting what we want isn't coercing the Universe. We are simply accepting more of the Universal energy as substance. The Universe isn't just wonderful, fuzzy ideals of love and joy. It is also all of the material substance that our physical world is created from. Divinity is Love energy in physical form. The chair you sit on, the job you have, your relationships, your finances, your health, all if this is Love in material form in your life. It is up to you to decide how much of that Energy you will accept. The Universe wants to give you all you could ever desire. The purpose of focusing on what you want is to change YOUR mind to accept it, to realize that you deserve it. Not to change the Universal Mind.

When a smoker chooses to quit smoking, does that mean that they're choosing something other than what their Higher Self wants for them? Are they manipulating the Universe? Of course not. They are choosing life and health. They've decided they want more of the goodness of the Universe. When you have a cold, and you want to feel better, are you trying to force the Universe to give you other than good health, which is normal and natural? No. You are simply aligning yourself with harmony and joy when you affirm health. You are simply changing your mind to accept what is already yours.

Generally, people will then ask, "Is it spiritual to focus on material good?" It's all spiritual. To believe that our thoughts of joy and love are the only spiritual things about us separates us from the Infinite. There is no separation between our Highest Thoughts and our more material ideas, and the ultimate physical manifestation of those thoughts and ideas. There is an old saying, "God is the giver, and God is the gift." Think of it this way. You ( an expression of God) are focusing on more good (God), say a new car (God in the form of a car, created by another expression of God). You buy it from an individual (an expression of God) or a dealership (yes, even the salesperson is an expression of God). You exchange money (God substance) for God in the form of a vehicle for you (an expression of God) to move around in. It is all God, Universal energy.

The only limitation put on our experience of Infinite energy is our beliefs, ideas, and thoughts. Any choice we make is a limitation on the Goodness of the Universe. But that's all the Infinite has to work with. Our ideas, beliefs, our vision. We can raise our thoughts to the abstract of accepting more joy, love, and harmony, and the Universal energy will manifest through those thoughts to the level we can accept. Or we can get more specific, and expand our beliefs to deliberately raise our level of acceptance to a more specific expression of Universal energy, such as health, or financial freedom. We can focus on poverty and struggle, or we can expand our awareness to ease and financial comfort. Whichever way we choose, it is our Higher Self giving Itself to us. Our good has already been given to us. The choice of how we want our lives to be is up to us.